


The Foxhole Manor

by Ancri



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Inspired by Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, It‘s an AU after all, Magic, Multi, Probably OOC for they have lived different lives, Rituals
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:41:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23567758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ancri/pseuds/Ancri
Summary: The 16th birthday is a special day for every witch and warlock. It‘s when they hand over their whole being to the devil in exchange of power. It‘s when they become a member of coven and even though that is the only thing that would keep Neil‘s father away he can’t do it. Maybe it‘s the pressure from his new found family that stopped him, maybe it were the words of the mortal Andrew that echoed in his mind, or maybe it was the memory of his mother’s voice screaming run over and over again. What ever it was, he didn‘t sign in the book of beasts and the Moriyamas can’t have that.
Relationships: Allison Reynolds/Renee Walker (All For The Game), Jeremy Knox/Jean Moreau, Kevin Day/Thea Muldani, Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 1
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Here is the little introduction into the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina AU that has been stuck in my head for a while now. Hope you enjoy it.  
> Disclaimer I obviously don‘t own those lovely characters.

Allison swirled in front of the mirror. With every turn her outfit changed but she couldn‘t decide what to wear. Her cousins sat around her with various stages of interest. Kevin‘s eyes were glued to the TV, absentmindedly telling her she looked good without looking away from the Exy game that was playing. Neil tried to finish some crappy essay he was supposed to have finished like three days ago but every once in a while he looked at the Game. Other than Kevin he at least looked at her when he told her she was pretty. Jean was probably the most helpful, even thought he said „next“ every time he looked up from the 150 years old edition of Notre Dame de Paris he was reading.

„Guys, I really need some help here!“, she demanded their attention. Kevin looked up angrily, through her a vicious glare and robbed closer to the TV. Fucking Junkie.  
„Well I could use some help too“, Neil murmured while biting on his pen. If he kept going like this it would break. Wouldn’t be the first time his mouth would be covered in ink only for Kevin to yell at him about his heals.  
„What‘s the essay about?“, Jean asked as if Allison was air.  
„Administration of the french territory left of the river Rhine under Napoleon 1892 to 1914“ Neil said and banged his head against the wall. Allison stopped and turned to her youngest cousin.  
„Why did you take European history?“  
„Because Kevin promised he would help be but he does shit!“, Neil shot said boy a pointy look who sighted.  
„Show me what you got.“  
Neil immediately jumped up and hurried over to where Kevin was sitting on a beanbag to push his half finished essay into his hands.  
And suddenly Kevin could multitask. Allison would remember that for sure.  
„Black turtle neck, vino red skirt, black high stockings, black high heals and lipstick same color as the skirt“, Jean decided regarding Allison‘s outfit dilemma.  
„You always pick such dark colors“ Allison complained but she did turn and after checking herself in the mirror decided she liked what she saw.  
„Then don‘t ask me about my opinion if you already know what I am about to say“, Jean said while rolling his eyes, then his head wiped to where Neil had just said something regarding his essay: „That is not how you pronounce Mair, tu païen!“

„Why do you even put so much effort into your outfit? It‘s just school. Not even Friday, just fucking Monday?“, Neil asked and sat down on the comfy armchair next to the giant mirror Allison was checking her hair in.  
„It may just be school but it is the first day Renee is back from her six weeks volunteering somewhere in Ghana with the peace corps“, Allison explained and winked at Neil who laughed at that.  
„Who is Renee?“, Jean wanted to know. One of the many down sides of being under house arrest was that he had no clue about his cousins live outside their home. He had been banished after some crime he refused to elaborate nearly 35 years ago.  
„The new Seth“, Kevin said disinterested while adding a few points to Neil‘s essay.  
„She is not! Renee is kind, and intelligent and funny and hot. Seth is just the last“, Allison explained matter of facts.  
„Seth is a jock who claims to be better at sports than he actually is. To say Renee is an improvement is an underestimation“, Neil throw in his opinion.  
„I know right. I actually thought about cursing that asshole once or twice“, Allison said smiling wicked and turned to look at the boys. Thy would have to leave soon.  
„We could. I really need a distraction from this“, Jean gesticulated at everything and Kevin snorted.  
„Copy it in your own handwriting on the drive to school. I tried to keep your writing style, or lack of it“, Kevin said and pressed the finished essay back into Neil‘s hand.  
„How do you even know this stuff. Wait, doesn‘t matter. You are the best! I do your math homework for the next two weeks“, Neil offered smiling while grabbing his bag.  
„Three“, Kevin argued but Neil just laughed.  
„Let‘s go or we will be late. Again“, Allison urged the two others who could actually leave the house out of the room.  
„Offer to curse Seth still stands Alli“, Jean yelled behind them.

In the hall they met Abby. The older witch looked at them judgingly: „Do you really thing you can leave without breakfast?“  
„No time.“  
„Sorry Aunti.“  
„See you.“  
„You just don‘t have time because you spend half an hour doing nothing“, Abby said amused by their hecticness.  
They past Waymack and Betsy on their way through the kitchen where Kevin gripped a toast and Allison the keys.  
„Don‘t do something stupid! I‘m to old for your shit!“, Waymack yelled and looked especially at Neil who just rolled his eyes.

They filled the car. Allison driving, Kevin riding shotgun an dNeil finished his essay in the back.  
When they finally pulled up into the schools parking slot Allison held her hand up to stop the boys from stepping out of the car. Both looked expectingly at her. With a smile she turned to Neil who raised an eyebrow.  
„I need your help with Renee“, she said.  
„Neil is literally the last person you should ask for flirting advises“, Kevin mentioned annoyed and took out his phone.  
„Hey, I am just not that good at talking to people my age“, Neil argued, his eyebrows wrinkled as he stared at the back of Kevins head.  
„… Or older people, or younger people“, Kevin joked which made Neil kick his seat: „Fuck of Kevin.“  
„Anyway. I thought about how to get Renee to our home …“, Allison began but both boys groaned at her words. Allison ignored them: „… and I decided to through you a birthday party. Of course not on your birthday, because of your black babthism, but the Friday after. We just invite a bunch of our classmates. Kevin can invite Jeremy, don‘t deny it, we all know you like him. And you Neil, are going to invite Renee‘s best friend Andrew Minyard, to make sure she comes. I know you have some classes with him.“  
„Your plan will fail. Andrew won’t come. Heck, he probably won‘t even talk to me“, Neil tried and Allison could see she was getting on Neil‘s nerves so she had to hurry up.  
„Just bribe him with alcohol. Please Neil. I own you big time“, she begged and she could see the exact moment he gave in.  
„Does Dad know about your genius plan? He will be thrilled to have a bunch of mortals at ours“, Kevin reminded them looking u from where he was texting someone.  
„I talked to Batsy about it and she agreed that it would do Jean good to interact with other people. Waymack wont go against her. Also all three of them won‘t be home that Friday, we have the house for ourself.“  
„Did you really used Jean‘s banishing to get laid?“, Kevin asked skeptical but Neil snickered.  
“You are wicked Allison“ he said, leaned forward to kiss her one the cheek, elbowed Kevin in the side and jumped out of the car the same time the bell rang.

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— 

Neil debated on how to convince Andrew to come to Allisons party. When they had German together in their third period he decided to just ask. Luckily Andrew sat next to him in class and they occasionally did group work together when Andrew didn‘t feel like talking with his twin Aaron, who sat at Andrew‘s other side, like today for example. They had to read an exert from Kafkas „The Transformation“and then discus it with their partner to make sure everyone understood the text, but sins both Neil and Andrew spoke German fluidly Neil decided to use the time to ask Andrew.  
„Hey“, he started unsure on how to do this.  
„I thought we already established that we don‘t need to actually talk about the text“, Andrew said bored without looking up from where he was drawing little doodles all over his text book.  
„Yeah, I know. I wanted to talk about something else.“  
That made Andrew look up, even thought he still looked bored. The two normally didn‘t talk much to each other. Neil and his cousins didn‘t talk much to outsiders in general, but Neil was the worst. The fact that they lived in an old mansion on a graveyard on a hill outside the city and that they weren‘t the most active members of community, at least the mortal one, made rumors about them spiral. To be honest, most of them were true, not the insest ones, the satanistic ones, but it was rather frustrating sometimes that their classmates where to afraid to talk to them. 

Andrew was still looking at him so Neil hurried to explain.  
„My birthday is next week and for what ever reason my cousin decided I need some big party. Problem is I don‘t know any people so I‘m just inviting some classmates. You can bring your brother and other friend or something. There will be tons of Alcohol because Kevin is an alcoholic in discus. But if you don‘t want to I under….“  
„We‘ll be there!“, Andrew interrupted his rumbling with his emotionless stare.  
„Really? Great. Thanks. It‘s probably going to be great. Allison will be happy.“ 

Andrew was going to say something when Ms. Schäfer appeared in front of their desks.  
„Habt ihr ein nettes Gespräch?“, she asked with a fake smile.  
„Nicht wirklich“, Andrew said while Neil mumbled a small :„Sorry“.  
Still, for some reason Neil had to smile for the rest of class.  
As soon as the bell freed them he texted Allison about his success. 

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

The idiot had done a miserable job at hiding his smile after Andrew agreed to come to his party and it really pounded on Andrews nerves. Everything about Neil Josten was getting on his nerves, especially his mysteries. Andrew was going to figure every single one of them out.

When he sat down with his lunch trail next to Aaron and opposite of Nicky he informed them about their new plans for next weekend.  
„You mean a party in the scary house on the scary graveyard? Nop, I pass“, Nicky said while pushing smashed potatoes in his mouth.  
„It‘s probably the only chance we got to look around there“, Andrew said matter of facts. They were going to go, whatever Nicky thought.  
„Are you still obsessed with them? Thous things are just rumors. They don‘t do blood sacrifices or orgies, Andrew!“, Aaron whispered, annoyed at his brothers obsession.  
„I wouldn‘t have a problem with the orgy part. I mean, Kevin and Neil are hot. I would go there“, Nicky through in which eared him a „gross“ from Aaron and a strong kick under the table from Andrew. The older boy grimaced in pain but shut up.  
„I am not saying they practice magic but something is wrong with them“ Andrew said and stared at Neil at the other side of the cafeteria.  
„Ok, when is this party“ Aaron asked and Andrew realised the idiot hadn‘t told him. 

Without saying a word he stood up and walked over to where the three cousins sat. All three looked up when he stopped in front of their table. Allison smiled at him, Kevin looked him up and down calculating and Neil raised am eyebrow at Andrew.  
„You forgot to give me the details to your party.“  
Allison facepalmed herself while Kevin snorted. Neils face turned a subtle shade of red which looked annoyingly good with his auburn hair.  
„Next week Friday. 7 pm. The address is ….“ Neil begun but Andrew interrupted him: „Everyone knows the address“, he said and turned back to his family.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neil thinks about how he came to live with his new familie.

Dinner at their home tended to be wired, at least compared to what Kevin saw in movies and TV shows. There were always some wired conversations and slightly disgusting ingredients in their meal that Abby swore were to increase heals and guard from curses. Kevin just wanted to be normal. To not worry about black magic, to not wake up every night bathed in sweet from some bloody nightmare, to not go back to the school of night ever other weekend. He wasn‘t sure if he should be glad Neil would join him soon, because it meant Kevin wouldn‘t be alone in the boys dorm, or be terrified of Neil having to deal with Riko and his initiations.

Kevin closed his eyes, took a deep breath and focused back on the conversation in front of him. Neil was absentmindedly flicking though a book about familiars.  
Allison was berating him, or more like trying to convince him to choose something poked sized. She herself had a Tarantula that was keen on giving Kevin a heart attack. Kevin had a Raven named Kayleigh after his late mother which followed him where ever he went. His fathers fox tended to stay away from everyone except Abbys ferret. Batsys dog didn‘t do much anymore and Kevin hadn‘t seen Jeans mouse in ages. Allisons fucking spider probably ate it. 

Neil didn‘t seem so keen on choosing one of the bread familiars. He focused more on pushing his dinner around his plate.  
„You need to choose one before your babthism“, Waymack said annoyed at Neils disinterested.   
„I have it handled. Don‘t worry“, Neil mumbled.  
„Why does that not calm me.“  
„I‘m going to bed“ Neil said suddenly, his dinner still untouched.  
Abby made an offended sound but Betsy shook her head. Allison and Jean shared a look and Kevin banged his head on the table. He got the awful feeling Neil was going to do something terrible stupid regarding his black babthism and it would backlash for all of them.  
Kevin just wanted his peace.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Neil had wanted to take a quick shower before going to bed, but the calming affect of the hot water made his thoughts wander. They‘ve been talking about his birthday and the black babthism that came along with it for weeks now and it was just getting to much.  
He had never liked his birthdays, admittedly they became les awful sins he moved into what Wamack lovingly called foxhole manor, but he still dreaded his 16th birthday. There where the obvious reasons like only wearing his underwear in front of the entire coven in mid January, his scars on full display. And then there where the even more obvious reasons like singing his soul, his freedom and his dignity over to the devil. But it was going to be ok. It wasn‘t as if Satan would start demanding shit from him suddenly. Allison, Kevin, and Jean had signed and they where alright, so were Waymack, Abby, and Betsy. But Neil wasn‘t like them. He wasn‘t born into this coven. He was a half bread.

Mary Hatford had been a mortal. She had been stupid enough to fall in love with a warlock who used her left and right. Only when she had given birth to their son she had realised how abusive Nathan Wesninsky actually had been all the time.   
When the boy had turned six, she had found an opportunity to run. All those years being surrounded by witches and warlocks had thought her a few things and had giving her connection other mortals hadn‘t, so she had managed to hid them for a while from Nathan. Mary had thought Neil to fear other witches and warlocks, had told him gruesome storys about what his fathers circle practiced, not that Neil hadn‘t known that already, being the victim of thous for years. Of course by now Neil knew there where differences between different circles, the one run by Kengo Morijama, that his father had been a high ranked member for eons now, was peculiarly vicious.

When Mary and Neil had hidden in Palmetto shortly after Neil turned eleven Nathan had somehow managed to located them. He had cursed Mary to fall ill so when they would arrive they just have to pick Neil up. They never established why they wanted him alive, maybe they pried themself not to reasonless kill a young warlock, or maybe thy just had special rituals for killing someone like him.

Only that Neil hadn‘t played into their hands. As soon as his mother had grown sick and he had tasted the heavy foulness in the air he had remembered some of the lessons his fathers mistress Lola had carved into him. He had just needed some plants to wear out the magic. Problem had been that he had no clue where to get them. Basil and Chamomile he could buy at the store but where would he find Angelica archangelica or pig‘s ears?

Thats how he had found himself in front of the old house on the graveyard. His mother had heard rumors of witches living there and she had made him swear to never go there. She‘ll most likely beat the shit out of him for coming here after she gets better. Carefully Neil had sneaked into the giant conservatory behind the house. It had been filled to the brim with the most bizarre plants and the smell in the air had shifted with every step Neil had taken between sweet to bitter to straight out dangerous. The air had been humid and sweat had dropped down Neils nose as he had searched for the plants he needed. He had been so focused on the task ahead he had‘t heard someone approach.   
„Hello little thief“, someone had said and panic strung Neil had turned around to face a woman with a kind face. That hadn‘t stop him from remembering everything his mother had told him about witches and he completely panicked. He had taken a few steps back but when his back had hit the wall with the realization that he had no way of escape something inside of him had snapped. To this day he couldn‘t remember what exactly had happened but Abby had said his eyes had become unseeing and the earth had started to shake. Most of her pots had fallen and shattered on the ground. She hadn‘t been able to talk to him. Probably to everyones luck Neil hadn‘t been the only one to panic because a thirteen years old Kevin had smashed a shovel against his head. Abby had yelled at him about it later but Neil was glad he had done it. 

When he had regained consciousness he had been surrounded by three adults, one teen and two kids. He had recognized the woman from the green house. He had immediately started to look for an escape rout but had come up empty. The other woman had seen his agitation and smiled at him.  
„Don‘t worry. We wont hurt you. I am Betsy, this are David, Abby, Kevin, Allison, and Jean. And who are you?“, she had asked with a calm aura that spread over Neil but it had felt wrong, ridden with magic. He had bagged away immediately. Those people really had magic, they were most likely working with his father.  
„Neil“ he had said. It had been the name his mother had told him to use while in Palmetto and maybe if he played along for a while he would find a way to escape.  
„Why were you stealing, Neil?“, the guy named David had ask him and Neils headache had been to painful for him to make something up.  
„My mothers ill. She has been cursed. I was trying to find archangels plants for her“ Neil had mumbled. There had been a pounding behind his eyes that had just become worse. He had tried to reach up to were it was worst but Abby had stooped hi.  
„Don‘t touch that.“  
„Where is your mother now. We can help her“ David had said urgently but Neil had shaken his head, which as it had turned out had been an awful idea.  
„You just want to hurt her“, Neil had said which had earned him some for his headache to loud shots if „no“ and „never“ from the younger ones and worried looks from the older.  
„You have been hurt. I can see that. But I promise you that non of us will cause you or your mother harm“ David had said and he had said it with magic so Neil had known he spoke the truth.   
„And if the witch or warlock that cursed her is even nearly as powerful as you than some plants wont be enough“ Abby had added.  
„As I?“ Neil had asked and Abby had smiled at him kindly.  
„That was some powerful magic in my green house for someone your age“, she had praised and Neil had decided he liked the warm feeling it had caused in him. He mother had never praised him, especially not regarding his magic. His magic was bad and he hadn‘t been allowed to use it much in the last five years.   
„Ok, I bring you to her“ Neil had given in. He had known his mother would get angry at him for bringing strangers, magical ones even so, to their hideout, but he was desperate. 

When they had made it to their place, Mary had already been dead. She had died alone because Neil had tried to play hero. He hadn‘t felt like moving much, he hadn‘t felt like anything in general, but he had somehow ended up back at the big house on the graveyard, a big cup of hot chocolate in front of him.

David had offered him a place to stay and with his lack of options Neil had agreed. He had told them that his father would come for him, that he would probably kill him and David had promised to deal with it. To Neils surprise he had actually done that. He had immediately called their high priest Tetsuij Muriyama, Kengos younger brother, who had accepted Neil as part of the church of Night. When Nathan eventually stood in front of their door he had lost all claim on Neil. There had been nothing he could have done.  
Neil was sure Tetsuji had just helped him to take something away from his more influential, more powerful older brother, but it didn’t matter. Neil was save, his father couldn‘t get him and he had found a family inside foxhole manor.

Neil turned of the shower and gripped a towel. He cracked his neck once while moving to the sink. His reflection looked back at him and it took Neil a second to see the red dripping from his nose. With shaking hands he reached to whip the blood away but his fingers came up clean. His reflection was still bleeding when Neil turned around and fled the bathroom.   
Hastily he gripped a charm, whispered some protection words and put the charm under his pillow. Maybe his father was playing tricks on him now that his 16th birthday was approaching, or he was just losing it.   
When Neil pulled his T-Shirt over his head he suddenly heard a loud crash and something flow past him, just barely missing his head. The window in his room was broken, sharp shards laid on the ground. Behind Neil laid a dying raven, its black feathers clotted with blood. It was twitching in pain.  
„Please don‘t be Kevins“, Neil whispered as he gripped a heavy book and stepped closer to the suffering creature. The raven was lacking the mist of a familiar but there was still the pull of magic surrounding it. Neil raised the book and smashed it onto the poor animal releasing it from its pain.   
This was a bad omen if Neil had ever seen one.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning Neil got up early and spun the way Allison always did to get dressed and cleaned up for school. He normally prefer to do the mundane things without magic, probably reminders from his mothers hatred for his magic, but today he had to hurry if he wanted o be done before the sun raised. 

The raven from last night was in a paper back in his backpack to be buried in the woods. 

He stepped into the kitchen where the adults already sat. 

„Can you tell the others I‘ll run to school today? I need to go now or I wont have enough time to shower before class“ Neil asked them and Betsy nodded. 

„Breakfast! You already skipped yesterday!“ Abby warned him and Neil gripped an Apple without breaking eye contact with her. Then he was out. 

The first thing he did after bringing some rows of trees behind him and Foxhole manor was to burry that poor bird. Then he pulled out a small bell and gripped a tall stick from the ground. He moved upright and rang the bell once. With the stick he begun to draw in the dirt: „Spirits of the forrest, I pronounce my intentions to thee. Come forth and seek me, and equal we will be.“ 

He rung the bell once more before calmly continuing to speak: „No master and servant, but familiar to familiar. To share our knowledge, our spirit, and our traits.“ 

A last time he rung the bell and then waited. The wind around him sighted and leaves rustled as Neil sat down, his legs crossed. 

It took around five minutes before Neil heard someone approach behind him. Excited he turned, but in front of him wasn‘t a spirit willing to become his familiar, no, it was Riko Moriyama. 

„A summoning spell, Nathaniel? Really? You should stop trying!“ the older boy said with a sinister smile. 

„What do you want, Riko?“ Neil asked annoyed. He really had better things to do than deal with Riko fuck face Moriyama, as Allison had called him. Neil hadn‘t had much to do with the nephew of the high priest in the past but he knew most of Kevins nightmares where Rikos doing. 

„I just want to make sure you know your place before your babthism next week“, Rikos smile only grew wider. 

„And where do you think that place is?“ Neil wanted to know. He had moved closer to Riko, standing face to face with the other boy. Riko was more powerful and had more influences but that alone wasn‘t enough to make Neil bow. 

„At the bottom of the food chain!“ Riko explained closing the small gasp between them. Their noses where nearly touching now and Neil could feel the hate radiating from Riko as if it was going to burn him. 

„And where are you? At the top? Because Daddy loved you so much he couldn‘t even stand being in the same coven as you?“ Neil mocked him and he could tell the moment Riko snapped. 

„How dare you. You are nothing. You are just here because of our mercy!“ he said and gripped Neils upper arm tied. Neil tried to rip his arm free but Rikos grip on him was iron. 

Riko begun to whisper something in Latin without breaking eye contact with Neil. 

„What are you doing? Are you cursing me?“ Neil asked angry. He tried to free himself from Riko more vicious now but to no success. He could feel his nose starting to bleed and this time it was for real. 

When Riko was finally done, still smiling wicked, Neil turned, gripped his backpack and run. He had to get into the school showers before the cures settled. 

When he reached school barely out of breath it was still early. The few people he past looked at him strange but otherwise ignored him as he ran past them to the gym. 

Thankfully he was the only one planing to shower before class. He undressed, turned on the water and begun to scrap his entire body. 

„If truly I am cursed today, let water wash the hex away! If truly I am cursed today, let water wash the hex away“, he repeated until he felt clean again. 

When school was finally over he climbed into the back of Allisons car and slammed to door behind him. He had stayed away from his cousins for most of the day. 

„Satan, my car! Be more careful“ She cursed and looked at him pissed. 

„What bite you today?“ Kevin asked with a raised eyebrow. 

„Riko!“ Neils teeth grinned under the pressure of his jaw. Kevins head spun towards him so fast it must have hurt. 

„Riko?“ 

„Yeah, he lurked in the woods when I went on a run this morning. Little Bitch hexed me!“ 

„Riko hexed you?“ Allison asked chocked while starting the car. 

„Don‘t worry, I already showered“, Neil assured them but Kevin was still tensed. 

„You need to cleans at home.“ 

„No, its disgusting and I‘m fine“, Neil argued and stared aggressively out of the window. 

„There is no discussing about it. If I don‘t make you do it than Abby will for sure“, Kevin said strict and he was right, there was no way around Abby. Still, Neil didn‘t regard Kevin with an answer. 

„Did you say anything to Riko?“ Kevin wanted to know after a while. 

„You mean other than fuck off?“ Neil asked annoyed which made Allison laugh. 

„Seriously Neil. You have a habit of antagonizing people“, Kevin reminded him . His voice had become quiet. 

„He hexed me. If anyone is antagonizing than it‘s him!“ 

„Neil, I am just trying to make your time at the school of night as easy as possible“ Kevin said calm and turned to look at Neil. 

„My time or yours?“ Neil asked pissed. Kevin was incapable of standing up for himself, that didn‘t mean that Neil would lay down in the mutt before Rikos feet as well. 

„Please stay away from Riko“ Kevin begged but for Neil the conversation was over. Allison throw them a few worried glances to the two but mainly kept focused on the street. 

Pulling up in front of foxhole manor Neil jumped out of the car before Allison had full stopped. Jogging upstairs he throw his backpack in a corner. Behind him Kevin yelled something like „Come back here“ but Neil refused to listen to him. 

Jean pushed his head out of his room when he heard the yelling. 

„Whats wrong now?“ he asked Neil who shock his shoulders and passed him to his own room. He locked the door behind him and took a deep breath. 

It was all becoming to much. The walls were closing in on him and he swore he could smell the foulness of the curse that killed his mother in the air. He sleighed down the door, back pressed against the cold wood. Breathing was becoming difficult. His eyes kept skipping over where he knew his still filled duffle bag was hiding. 

Neil wasn‘t sure how long he sat their trying and failing to breath until a knock on the door shocked him out of his panic. He took a few seconds to order his thoughts before he opened the door to find Abby on the other said. In one hand she hold a plate with sandwiches, in the other a Jar with a disgustingly grayish goo. 

„Your eating habits start to worry me, darling“, she said with a warm smile. 

„But first….“ 

The goo smelled worse than it looked and Neil knew the taste would make him want to vomit. Still he took the Jar from Abby and downed it in one go. It tasted the way rotten fruit and dead mice smelled and he gaged but had to keep it in. Abby nodded knowingly before handing him the plate. 

„If you want to talk or have a question about next Wednesday we are all here for you. Even Kevin. I know he can be a little bit much sometimes but he just wants what’s best for you“ she said and Neil nodded. He knew that of course, that just didn‘t made it easier for him to open up about his inner conflict. All of them would tell him not to worry and to just sign. It‘s what they expect him to do. He needed the opinion of an outsider. 

Abby closed the door behind her to give him space and Neil begun to eat. He really had been hungry without realizing it. 

By the time Neil had finished all his homework while simultaneously ignoring his family it had become dark outside. He moved to the window, that Jean had thankfully repaired, to let in some fresh air before leaving for the bathroom. When he came back a few minutes later he went to close it just to find scratch marks on the frame. 

„Great. What know?“ he cursed as he closed it. 

„Abraham“ a male voice said. It was echoing from the walls and didn‘t seem to have an origin. Neil gulped as he looked around his dark room. 

„Who are you? Show yourself!“ Neil ordered with a confidence in his voice he did not feel. 

„I heard your call in the woods“, the voice whispered and it sounded like air rustling through trees in fall: „And I came.“ 

Long black claws peaked up behind his desk, a black humanlike but faceless head followed. It reminded Neil of a dementor. Then the creature moved back out of Neils vision. A „meow“ was audible and this time it did not echo. A black cat run towards Neil from where the creature had been hidden and jumped into his arms when Neil kneeled down. 

„Norgh, how cute you are“, he whispered while petting it‘s head. The cat purred as it pressed closer to him. 

„I think I call you Stuart, shall I“, Neil suggested and since the cat kept purring he must have accepted the name. 

At least one good thing had come out of this day. Now the other could finally stop pestering him about his lack of familiar. 

When Neil looked up, the cat still in his arms, he saw into the mirror on his wardrobe. His reflection was bleeding from its nose.


End file.
